"Medieval mixed with Modern" a Esslingen Travel Page by antistar

Despite the chocolate box views of its major medieval attractions, and its long independent history, Esslingen now is a somewhat run down industrial suburb of Stuttgart. I had imagined Esslingen to be something like the other medieval towns that I had visited, such as Brugges or Warwick, so when the shabby station exited onto a concrete car park and sad shopping strip, I was quite surprised. The place is well inclined to tourists, however, and so there were plenty of signs to direct me to its far more presentable medieval heart.

Esslingen sits on the Neckar and has much of the medieval beauty that Stuttgart lost during the heavy bombing of World War 2. The particular highlights for me were the Stadtkirche St Dionys, with its two towers connected by an improbable covered bridge, and the 13th century Burg high up above the city offering views of the beautiful town centre, and the Schwabian Jura and valleys within which Esslingen sits. The town itself is quite pleasant to walk through, especially on a Sunday morning, when the bells of the churches peel through the empty streets of tight, narrow cobble stones.

In truth, though, it's not a patch on Tubingen, a further 40 minutes down the same train line. So if, like me, you are dropping in on your way there, you'd be just as well skipping it, unless you have an hour or two to waste. If you are in Stuttgart, and have the access-all-areas three day ticket, then you might want to make the most of it by getting far out of the city. Compared to Stuttgart it does have a lot to offer in terms of easily accessible history, and so if you are in town for a few days, take a trip out, as it only takes about 15 minutes on the S-Bahn.